Green Goodness: EarthDance at Mueller Farm
Shannon Howard | Oct 15, 2009 | Comments 7
Another bountiful day at Mueller Organic Farm in Ferguson
Like North County itself, Mueller Organic Farm is a place that many people assumed was dead. Located on 14 lush acres at the border of Ferguson and Kinloch, this historic farm was founded in 1883 and was worked by members of the Mueller family up until the mid-1990s.
After Al Mueller died in 1999, his wife Caroline (who had farmed side by side with him for 50 years) rented out the plots to other farmers, but she worried that after she was gone, the farm would eventually be lost to redevelopment or simply neglected and forgotten.
John Wilkerson, an early pioneer in preserving Mueller Farm
Thankfully, people like John Wilkerson and Molly Rockamann recognized the farm’s value, both as an organic oasis and a community landmark, and vowed to work with Mrs. Mueller to preserve the property.
Wilkerson, president of the Missouri Organic Association, has maintained a plot at Mueller Farm for ten years now. Rockamann joined the cause in 2008, when she founded EarthDance, a nonprofit whose mission is to not only preserve Mueller Farm but also to foster a new generation of organic farmers.
EarthDance offers workshops for children, apprenticeships for adults, and a variety of fun events that bring people together for food, music, art and community. Their big annual fundraiser, Pesto Festo, is coming up on November 7th, and if last year’s event is any indication, it promises to be a swingin’ evening! It will also be a zero waste event, meaning nothing will be tossed in the trash. Pretty amazing.
So…in case you ever need to ward off NoCo naysayers, remember these fun facts: North County is home to the oldest organic farm in the state of Missouri. Incredible. It’s also home to one of the hippest, most progressive organizations in the St. Louis area, an organization that may very well become a driving force in the national small farms movement. How’s that for cool?!
I don’t think I need to tell you – please support these awesome organizations. Get your Pesto Festo tickets today! Twenty-five bucks is a small price to pay to make sure that EarthDance and Mueller Farm are around this area for a long, long time.
A magical, musical EarthDance evening at Mueller Farm
Filed Under: Farm & Garden • Get Involved
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K
Thanks, Shannon, for coming to the Museum today, and I love your website! I will be passing this along to people who I think will particularly appreciate it, and I know a few of those.
Pat Jackson
[...] this hands-on “school” allows Freshman Farmies to maintain their own organic plots at Mueller Farm in Ferguson, while also learning about organic vegetable and flower production from seasoned [...]
[...] way to meet some interesting people and learn a lot about organic gardening, make your way to the EarthDance Community Potluck on February 21. Open to all, this fun, casual event will let you share a [...]
[...] the Mueller family started working in 1883. Today, the farm’s 14 acres are under the care of EarthDance, a fabulous nonprofit that’s currently training 30 apprentices in the ways of organic [...]
[...] from farm to fork.” The winner of a $5,000 prize, she was recognized for her work with EarthDance Farms, the Ferguson-based nonprofit that trains aspiring farmers at Missouri’s oldest organic farm. [...]
[...] from farm to fork.” The winner of a $5,000 prize, she was recognized for her work with EarthDance Farms, the Ferguson-based nonprofit that trains aspiring farmers at Missouri’s oldest organic farm. [...]
[...] oldest organic farm is still sleeping, but that doesn’t mean the good folks of EarthDance Farms haven’t been busy. In fact, these nonprofit stewards have educated dozens of St. Louisans in [...]